Skills, Knowledge and Understanding: B1.4 bullet point 1: Suggest how
organisms are adapted to the conditions in which they live;. B1.4 bullet point 2:
Observe ...
B1 4.1 – Lesson guide
Plant adaptations This lesson looks at a range of plant adaptations and how they enable the plants to survive in different conditions, in particular those of dry environments.
Resources available Student Book lesson B1 4.1 Sheet number
Title
Type
Specification reference
B1 4.1a
Plant growth
Student practical sheet
B1 4.1a
B1 4.1a
Plant growth
Teacher and technician sheet
B1 4.1a
B1 4.1b
Surviving with little water
Classwork sheet
B1 4.1d,f B1 4.1d,f
B1 4.1c
Well-adapted plants
Homework sheet
Skills sheet 7
Good results
Skills sheet
Specification B1 4.1a To survive and reproduce, organisms require a supply of materials from their surroundings and from the other living organisms there. B1 4.1d Organisms, including microorganisms, have features (adaptations) that enable them to survive in the conditions in which they normally live. B1 4.1f Animals and plants may be adapted for survival in the conditions where they normally live, e.g. deserts, the Arctic. Animals may be adapted for survival in dry and arctic environments by means of: changes to surface area; thickness of insulating coat; amount of body fat; camouflage. Plants may be adapted to survive in dry environments by means of: changes to surface area, particularly of the leaves; water-storage tissues; extensive root systems.
e.g. body shape, of a range of organisms from different habitats; B1.4 bullet point 3: Develop an understanding of the ways in which adaptations enable organisms to survive. Controlled Assessment: B4.3.2c Recognising the value of further readings to establish repeatability and accuracy; B4.4.1b Calculating the mean of a set of at least three results.
Lesson objectives Students should be able to: ●
describe different features (adaptations) of plants that help them grow well in different conditions
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describe adaptations that help plants survive in dry environments.
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explain how different adaptations to the environment help plants to survive.
Keywords
Ideas for practical work
Adaptation, driptip, drought, insulate, physical condition, stomata.
Investigate the effect on plant growth of varying their environmental conditions, e.g. degrees of shade, density of sowing, supply of nutrients.
Points to note
How Science Works Skills, Knowledge and Understanding: B1.4 bullet point 1: Suggest how organisms are adapted to the conditions in which they live; B1.4 bullet point 2: Observe the adaptations,
This is a fairly simple topic as it builds on earlier work at KS3 and even KS2 on adaptations. To extend this for higher-ability students, focus the tasks on explanation of how an adaptation improves survival and reproductive success.
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B1 4.1 – Lesson guide
Lesson activities
Plenary 1
Show students the same image or video as given in the starter and ask them to describe, and possibly explain, the adaptations of the plant to the conditions. If they find this difficult, ask them to suggest what else they would need to research in order to answer the question. The following resources might be useful: Desert plant adaptations video; Rainforest plant adaptations webpage; or Plant adaptations webpage. [AfL]
2
Give students 5 minutes to sketch a plant that shows physical adaptations to a particular environment, such as very cold, very warm or very wet. They should annotate their sketch to identify the key adaptations. [AfL]
Starter 1
Show students a photograph or video of plants living in extreme conditions, such as an arid region or polar tundra, and ask them to describe the challenges for plants living there.
2
Some students may be able to describe some of the adaptations that help the plants to survive, but the key idea to get across is that if a plant cannot grow and reproduce in those conditions, the species will die out in that area.
Main tasks 1
2
3
What is the 'environment'? Students need to understand that the environment of an organism includes not only the physical factors, such as light or warmth, but also other organisms including predators, parasites, prey and anything else that they interact with. Use a photograph of a landscape including plants and animals as a stimulus, and start a discussion on 'what makes up the environment?' Ask students to identify elements in the photograph that are part of that environment. B1 4.1a Plant growth In this practical, students measure and compare the area of leaves from plants that have been growing in full sun or in shade. Another focus of the activity is considering how to increase the reliability of measurements from living organisms. (If the leaves are provided, allow ~30 minutes; allow additional time if students are to collect leaves.) B1 4.1b Surviving with little water In this research activity, students choose one organism from the worksheet that can survive in arid conditions. They should carry out further research on its adaptations to the environment and prepare a poster or short report on their findings. Although lichens are not strictly plants, they are given as an example because their use as pollution indicators is covered in lesson 4.6.
Homework/research 1
Students use either books or the Internet to investigate the adaptations of plants in other extreme conditions, such as the rainforest, or as used to rehabilitate spoil heaps from mineral mining.
2
Worksheet B1 4.1c provides some revision questions on this lesson as well as asking students to apply their knowledge to a new example.
Route to A* Students could research some of the physiological mechanisms that allow plants to live in some of the more extreme environments, such as the presence of oils and waxes that reduce the risk of damage by freezing, or behavioural mechanisms such as losing leaves in times of drought or in cold seasons. Students should use their findings to try to explain how these adaptations evolved.
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B1 4.1a – Teacher and technician sheet
Plant growth Aim To compare the growth of plants in sun and in shade, and identify any effect of light on growth. This practical also focuses on the importance of making repeat measurements and calculating means.
Specification B1.4.1a; SKU B1.4 bullet point 1: CA B4.3.2c, B4.4.1b
Equipment ● ● ●
leaves collected from one species of plant that were growing in full sun gardening gloves if collecting nettles or thorny leaves such as bramble
● ●
leaves collected from the same species of plant that were growing in shade plastic bags for keeping leaf samples from each site separated
graph paper
Other resources Skills Sheet 7
Safety notes ●
Ensure an appropriate risk assessment has been carried out for this practical activity.
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Take note of any allergies to particular plant species, and avoid those plants. Collect leaves from sites that cannot have been fouled by animal faeces, e.g. from trees or climbing plants, or from areas from which cats and dogs are excluded.
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Hands should be washed after handling leaves.
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If collecting leaves from trees, collect from branches that are comfortably within reach.
Running the activity Students could collect their own samples for measuring, or alternatively the samples can be collected prior to the lesson so that this is a fully lab-based activity. Suitable plants include ivy, nettles or brambles, as well as trees such as birch, hazel or elder. 1
If students collect their own samples, they will need to consider before they start how to select leaves that will give them reliable results. For more able students, you could consider starting with the extension question, which will direct them to selecting leaves from the same plant in order to avoid genetic differences between plants.
2
While collecting their own samples of leaves, students could also collect data on other measurements of plant growth which may also vary as a result of light, such as internode length. The differences could be related to work done in earlier years on etiolation in darkness.
3
Lower ability pupils may need guidance on how to estimate leaf area efficiently.
4
If students finish their measurements quickly, question 5 in the Evaluation section asks them to test their idea on the effect of making more measurements.
Expected outcomes On average, leaf area is smaller in leaves growing in sunlight than in shade.
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